The Supreme Court on Thursday directed an immediate halt on vigilante groups in Kerala professing open hate for stray dogs and rewarding persons who cull the canines.
This was a new aspect that was brought to the attention of the Court which is hearing a vexed issue on whether animal rights must prevail in a situation where stray dogs become a threat to human life. With several deaths reported in Kerala from stray dog bites, the State Police had recorded 19 incidents where stray dogs were openly killed by residents living under a morbid fear of these animals.
The Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said, “…we restrain such organisations to impart training to the children or to distribute subsidized air guns for people to kill stray dogs or to publically propagate that there is war against the stray dogs or strangulate the stray dogs or for that matter offer prizes or incentives to those who kill the stray dogs.” Information produced by animal loving groups pointed out the names of four such organisations operating in the state.
The Bench referred the information to a retired judge of Kerala HC, Justice Sri Jagan to examine if such groups existed. If so, the Committee will study whether such groups can be formed in violation of the statutory scheme under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Sri Jagan Committee will also examine compensation to be paid to victims of dog bites after it was informed that the state had announced a sum of Rs 2 lakh to persons who died due to dog bites but some victims only received Rs 40,000. The Committee will submit its report by March 1.